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THEODORE 
ROOSEVELT 



BY 



NORMAN HAPGOOD 



THEODORE 

ROOSEVELT 

- st 

NORMAN HAPGOOD 



ISSUED 1905 
BY THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT OF 

Colliers 

The National Weekly 

A\b West 13th Street New York C.'y 



I, IQOJ 



i — ■ 






Norman 
Hapgood 




\JORMAN HAPGOODS editorials fit The 
* ™ National Weekly. They are national, 
international, human, suggestive. They do not 
preach, they vivify the world's event* with their 
suggestions. If you disagree with them - and you 
musl sometimes — you disagree good-naturedly. 
But you will read them : and you will not read 
them without having some new light thrown on 
some subject that will interest you as a thinking 
man or woman. 



THEODORE ROOSEVELT 



TH E Roosevelt Legend is rapidly taking 
shape. The President is a complex but 
not myslerious appearance. When he 
concludes his present work in 1908, his out- 
lines will be distinct for a "Statesman so young 
and so fertile in inconsistency. 

No clearer folly was ever perpetrated than 
the attempt of a few conspicuous organs of the 
silk locking and Wall Street ingredients in the 
las! campaign to befuddle voters into the belief 
that Mr. Roosevelt was an autocrat menacing 
free institutions and pointing the way to Roman 
autocracy. The people knew that Mr. Roose- 
velt was a democrat in every way except in- 
herited party affiliation, and that Mr. Parker 
was a democrat mainly in appellation. The 
people know a democrat when they see one. 
Cynics may observe that the masses, if unre- 
stricted, would choose leaders who look like 
the maionty and smell like the majority. That 
snobbery is no better than any other. The 
masses have a good deal more political sense 
than anybody else. 



Hi: MiOLLD BE m [ 

At. Roosevelt \s as paintctl as a t 

1. The 

■ ■ . 
vub. ..as humor, 

orusls \ 
. mjIc lik'- t: .•■ I 
Mr. \ lyde only made fooll of their newspapers. 
Those \% h< > i inging on a bel. 

•••n the ..?, grin;, 

firing 1 

' r. llir [x-< ; .oOC 

:hing is more exasp< 

.-xce 
ooq Mr I\<h 

nod 11 nix 111 !)«%•' t < < ■:■:;• !<-nce. Hedoei 

:itive 00 
rhe m i' inn' :f is 

M Ki: 
maDrr \ 

Men. I I ■ ■ :. • ,1 runbing 

f d I 

" ! " to " We m ? What 1 

■. 

i< 1 1 . ■ ' || 

of Mr. Gladftone, "t ! ho 



B inun.'. It dado'l 

n i! it v. 
■ ' V;::a'trr ! 

*c\rk » instinctive as a m^ram. Mr. 

ntjlil pp 

< -nti i.li. ti<>n\ l-u! I ' t - t'. ::i br, knowing thry 
■ 

! of nut • as a I 

once ft placard reading. " Lrx n in 

I '.• 

idlwesi air (uv-d ui 
Rooaevelt. } I 

Mr. GnoAone, thou, 1 \s drfhi 

mind, i its democr.v •. in . ' 

I . : 

Om - I i f m ( if it Hi it .un. 

M I . 

• "•I. \%!i;« }> ts paaing in 
a {talesman. Bod OtMl trappings 
;<fl dignity. One oi tlie Oroogesl trails 
of Roosevelt none oi the j**' 

<<i an irv *:r; :!.. :i. Wi.it eg ■ t: ::i he hftl r free 

welling on rut moo- 

inner are those 




Husk, in th< Hi 

of the gre il ( '• ntraJ Weft. 1 le ii what 

to prinl in i apil M in. 

I jncoki ihowed his mh uin 1 i 

■ I char* kef in 
i in Pn noV nl ! 

ol minimality. It will ; L-foir Wt I 

the* I in <>ln ; for n I no 

1 1 hut now u 1 then bul v#e I 
R level ■ maftef <>f die democratic 



1 Ifl giws any n A 

lot o( I : '"' "" 

Broad wiy. "iDpOM 0000 the P ■'■ lb" 
ts a peal band to t ilk. A little 
will NNTitc an inspired letter wnjaaninf \%h.it the 

inipuLsr of t -on venation has <b*u< I OUl oi him. 

When x - tfjh Rkl irc ^ 

1, he is a grr.it mm 

iU<- <>thcr hand, when be tbinli ■••mly 

id he is 
not so badly in Alt 

moo< ! Jy, M Ki 

; rivate Be. 1 1 

Roowrh h ibt Be. 1 le ■ < < •n>t.intl>' 

g around in hi are 

becoriu:! • h in DM I . but which give 

some persons a sh< 

Hie people like p.ij IB Thoy are 

: good DUth. I U too, 

like t!. near!) 

•!u-t linn, <>r W DO D H not. 1 
are in h IMJ and truth which 

. it-- nil motl un 

I 1 le him. I :.< v shape his 

ends It ome one \ in nil prrsmce 

il 10 hts l.trrarv sense, he 

seizes t: | by 

tlinr sound ; but I 

uting for a path. "A square d 



a it crossed his ear, gave* him acuteit satis- 
So, when he WM Police Commis- 
sioner, did " Enforce the law because it is the 
law." 

W ithi modulation he can be 

swung by suih welcome phrase, but in his 
larger I- s he g( iutindt, as a car- 

n< r pigeon or a woman goes, and thei 
t f n( ; with public spirit in Al 

ica. 1 ootwo Reoteveks, and I 

never been, any more than there are two 

women in the lady who overrule* to-d 

I with passion ye fte r d iy. L< 
of int- 1!: - nee, and a small' 
worth of human life. Mr. Rootevell li 
and needs none. He is hear and 

hard for certain nd he will reach them. 

He does not I ■•'• thinking about 

- of consi-t' m \ or order in the r< ! 
of deed planabons or oV as, He 

DOl he aw. ike at llighl from ar • 

1 le neept, And 1 t functioning is the 

couniry*i gam. 1 le wi h and well, and 

it takei B person of many artiMties to represent 
this land. In re.ifiirming the j ■ cele- 

hr.it mmonplace volume ike 

Simple I .it " ; n attacking race nncid 
bimnf , win beaters, weaklings, of i 
in preaching at ■ hem»| in talking about 



i 

Kun, IikIi in. i . in all tl 
greasiw living ind P i'-nt 

I. not l»v intention, l>ut 

: .:i Ins <\i 

I fundbon 

css- 

ful ! 

ped 
sin< 

THE KEYNOTE ( >I IUE NEW P< UTK3 

Roost' v« It Tne {x"; with 

him, but he h 

: it. I \<- Ix gan !.. :our 

aSlic in ha • un- 

•i ii he i- ipp mting 
: gumg in fa .$ a 

mod- , he n\ i 

. i : D <itni' ; 

principle 'r.il n<»t'- d 

> <J i\ . the note of the fatal rfc of 

I al to Dun- 

oon! ion, to < ru I as of 

■eflhodi "f <>iv ini/ •.• 

5[>mtu 1 1 Ihe issues us* 

L» ! Folk 



people want. They want a moral reality and 
a moral tone ; and Theodore Roosevelt is the 
only statesman, alive or dead, in reading whose 
speeches you will find the exact note struck 
which is the note of to-day toward reform, 
the note which other politicians, all over the 
country, are beginning to use. He struck it, 
not from profundity of insight, but because it 
was himself, and because the instinctive demon 
which leads him on has told him always to 
trust the stirrings of his soul and body. In 
matters of strict intellectual analysis, like the 
details of tariff schedules, or the intricacies of 
commerce, he sees dimly and proceeds with 
caution. In pervading moral tone, in the naked 
confidence with which he follows his intimate 
beliefs, he is strong with the forces of the 
masses and the time. To be moral in politics 
means to be for the people, whether it leads 
against bosses, corporations, Senators, or news- 
papers ; and the people know themselves to be 
Mr. Roosevelt's chief interest and his last re- 
liance. It is no wonder that they love him. 
His fight has been their fight. He has done 
more, with the constant aid of Providence, 
than any ten other men, between 1 888 and 
1905, to free the people's voice and give ex- 
pression to ideals of to-day's American democ- 
racy. Only three Presidencies since the war 




" He'a good enough f i 

Hy B*m*T P.iv<nf>crt s in tkr 






have left a striking mark upon the country. 
McKinley, in his tad and gentleness, embodied 
one of Lincoln's many sides. He helped to 
heal old wounds and diplomatically secured 
some virtuous laws. Grover Cleveland's stub- 
born courage has already been built into an 
ideal remembrance, one of those idealized facls 
which guide and befriend the nations. History 
may allow Mr. Cleveland to loom largest of our 
recent Presidents. It depends on Roosevelt 
and his destiny. Fate swept McKinley and 
Hanna from his path, even as Generals January 
and February win their victories in war. She 
has been his friend also in gentler mood. If he 
continues to receive her help, and to deserve it ; 
if for four years he speaks with the people's bet- 
ter voice, he will look a taller President to pos- 
terity than any since the fatal shot of Booth. 
He is committed to retirement in 1 908. Bowing 
with manly taste to a disputable convention, 
he avoids a seeming lack of loyalty to the peo- 
ple. On 1912 are no such fetters. To be 
nominated in 1908 he might rely on poli- 
ticians. To be recalled in 191 2, or any time 
m two decades would mean that the people 
had spoken, and only they. And that glory is 
die possible reward of brave and powerful 
leadership. 



THE PRESIDENTS QUALITIES 

The IV ■ i !<-nt will not remake himtel fen 
anything that 1 or n thousand othi long 

men may say, We can onjy hope thai in 
ln.tim 1-guid • 1 and useful race through Efe he 

will do each year more of good and less of evil 
•\il is trivial, hut it lowers the personality 
which is to remain in slory. Success is a great 
and beneficent, hut not an only, god. C, 
■bo, md beneficent, are self-respcdt and sturdy 
tv, and the power to sacrifice one's self, 
Doin^ Things is the chief end of an Executive, 
Bit Being Tilings is something. It is part of the 
man as he is remembered. We are jealous of 
i whom we place a value. These pass- 
ing not^s concern one who is probably the mosl 
.1 puMic servant since the war. A true 
in, a true democrat, a loud noise for 
righteousness, a fighter for the people's just en- 
franchisement, he is the strongest single safe- 
1 -out of the million safeguards which our 
people are I wildcat discontent and 

ra of the tpye of I leanft. If 
>f money are cured under leadership 
of c I justice, brands \.;11 be taken from 

:i. \ oung Ri< hard II. 
I hii followers h "1 ftaboed \\ .it 
Tyler, rode to the head of Tyler's fright 



but threatening mob, and lead, " / will be your 

lead- 
Mr. Rootevel is as busy as Busier Brown. 
1 le thinks that doing everything is doing good. 
In his case, Hid, 00 the whole, it i . Ii-- pres- 
ent Wafer, although rather less than half Rl - 

pub old h ■ I for Mr. Root 

.my Democral extant 1 le seeks the 

right and backl nimbly aw. »v from wrong. 1 lis 

le, and he fights to win. 
lb- i< nnetOOted, despite his prancing, and 

Itul, with all his clangor. I le is right side 

up when he earth. He ■ ■ little d 

than forty-six. Will he %w ,r old age as ac- 
cordantly as youth and middle He J We hold 
no secrets of the Sislers Three; but we brwntly 
hope our hero's credit may increase in volume, 
LL»- a ball of rolling snow. 



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